Pasteurizing apparatus.



A. J. RICE.

PASTEURIZING AFEARATUS.

1,1,s 944. 2&

APPLICATION FILED APR. 23. I913. I

"v Patented June'13, 1916'.

a SHEETS-SHEET x.

- 'A. 1. RICE.

PASTEURIZING APPARATUb.

APPLICATION FILED mp2s. 1913.

Patented J 11116 13, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

jvz/ven/for' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT'J'. RICE, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T RICE & ADAMS, OF BUFFALO,

NEW YORK, A PARTNERSHIP.

PASTEURIZING- APPARATUS.

Specification of letters Patent.

Patented June 13, 1916.

Application filed April 23, 1913. Serial No. 763,061.

I To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT J. RICE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buifalo, in the county'of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Pasteurizing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for pasteurizing substances in bottles" or jars or like containers and is particularly applicable to the pasteurization of bottled milk and cream. 7

In accordance with this invention it is possible to treat at one time a large number of bottles which may be stacked up in crates, or otherwise, and whichneed not lie sealed. The apparatus is especially suited for treat-.

ingthe bottles while in place in the ordinary shipping crates and affords a practical and efiicient- .pasteuriz'ing. means for the use of small dealers.

The invention provides means for assur ing a properv distribution of the pasteuriz= mg medium over all of the bottles and also protects the tops of the bottles so as-to prevent the contamination. of the substancezin the bottles if the latter are not tightly sealed."

invention. Fig. 2 1s a fragmentary vertical section, on'an enlarged scale, of a portion of one of the distributing troughs, showing the top of a milk bottle in elevation. Fig. 3 is 'a top plan view of a mi-lk bottle crate with a distributing trough covering the tops of the bottles therein. Fig. 4: is a bottom plan view ofthe distributing trough. Fig. 5 is a top plan viewof a modified form of distributing trough. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the trough shown in Fig. '5, on an enlarged scale. Flg. 7 18 a. fragmentary vertical'sectional view,on an enlarged scale,

' of a portion of the trough shown in Figs. 5

and 6 and showing the top of a milk bottle.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, 1 designates the bottles of milk. or other substance to be pasteurized. These are stacked up in any divide t suitable manner, preferably by being placed morates 2, such asare commonly used for shipping bottled milk. 1 A well known form of these crates is illustrated in the drawings and comprises a box or frame 3, without top or bottom having transverse wires or rods 4 passing across the same upon which the bottles rest and other transverse wires 5 which crate into individual compartments fo the bottles. These crates are all made of the same size so that .theymay be stacked one upon theother and are preferably provided with corner irons'6 pro ecting slightly above the upper edges thereof so ed to -fit into the bottom of the crate above and so hold the crates in a stack in vertical alinement. The crates may obviously be of any other suitable construction. The milk or other contents of the bottles is heated to the pasteurizing temperature by causing hot water to fiow over the bottles and is then lowered again to the proper temperature by similarly causing cold water to flow over the bottles. In order to insure a proper distribution of this water and to prevent the same from entering the tops'of the bottles, shallow distributing vessels or troughs 7 are provided. These troughs are placed one in the top of each crate and each is provided with a marginal -flange 8 and with a plurality of inverted cup-shaped pockets or caps 9 arranged to fit over the tops of the bottles in the crates. The water is fed into the trough 7 and'is distributed uniformly over the surfaces of the bottleslthrough a plurality 'of perforations 10 formed around the caps 9." It will be seen that. the caps eflectually prevent theentrance of the'heatpreferably provided with an overflow tube 11, the open upper end of whichis above the perforations IO and below the edge of the marginal flange 8-. One of the distributing troughs is preferably placed in the top of each crate, the corners of the trough being cut away if necessary, as indlcated at 12. so

as to-clear the corner irons 6. The troughs rest directly onthe bottles so that no special supportingdevices thereforare required. The heating or cooling water is fed into the trough at the top of the stack, runs through the holes 10 around each of the caps and flows over the surface of each bottle in a uniform film. From the bottoms of the bottles the water drips into the trough below which again distributes it uniformly over the bottles in the second crate and so flows on down through the entire stack. *If water is fed into any trough faster than it can escape through the perforations 19, it Will rise in the trough to the level of the overflow opening and overflow into the trough below through the tube 11. The overflow devices 11 prevent the heating or cooling fluid from overflowing over the marginal walls of the distributin troughs, thereby insuring that the liquid discharging from one trough Wlll be caught and properly distributed by the next trough. This construction also enables the water to be maintained at a substantially constant level in the trough, thus in suring a suflicient head or pressure to cause the water to discharge properly againstthe bottles. I;

The use of the troughs-associated with each tier of bottles makes absolutely certain the even distribution of the heating or cooling fluid. over each bottle, and the heating or cooling fluid will not follow isolated streams or tracks on the bottles as .freouently happens where vno distributing means are provided for directing the fluid from the bottles in one tieronto the bottles in the next tier. The adequate treatment of the contents of each bottlev is thus assured, the heating and cooling fluids are economically used and the danger of breakage of the bottles by heating them unevenly is avoided.

The tiers of bottles and distributing troughs may be stacked up in any suitable place and supplied with any heating or cooling fluid in any suitable manner. Fig. 1 however, shows a convenient construction for this purpose, TAs here shown, a number of crates of bottles, each provided with its distributing troughs, are stacked in a cabinet 13 which has a false floor or grating 14 upon which the crates rest. vWater is supplied at the top of the stack through suitable distributing heads 15, fed from a pipe 16. The .water runs down over the tiers of bottles and collects in the bottom of the cabinet, which forms a storage tank. A circulating pump 17 draws the water from the bottom of the cabinet and forces it up through the pipe 16 to the. distributing heads 15. I

18 is a steam connection by which steam may be. injected into the water flowing through the pipe 16 so as to heat the same.

19 is a pipe by which cold water may be supplied to the storage tank in the bottom of the cabinet in order to lower the temperature of the circulated water. When it is desired further to cool the water in the bottom of the cabinet, ice mayjbe added to it or, as shown, a refrigerating pipe QO may be placed in it through which brine may be circulated when desired. 7 I

The operation ofipasteurizing with this apparatus is as follows: The crates of bottles of milk or other substance are stacked in the cabinet and the circulating pump 17 is started. Steam is then injected into the pipe 16, thus gradually raising the temperature of the Waterv being supplied to the distributing troughs. The temperature of the bottles is thus gradually raised so that the bottles are not cracked. The water being circulated over and over again gets hotter and hotter as more steam is injected into it and eventually the bottles and their contents are raised to the desired temperature for the destruction of the bacilli, which temperature, in the case of milk, is in the neighborhood of L40 F. When this temperature is reached, if'the cabinet is reasonablytight and of material which does not permit of too rapid radiation of heat, the 7 pump. 17 may be stopped and the .bottles permitted to stand in the cabinet for a suitable length of time, for instance about half anhour, while the pasteurizing'proce'ss is completed. Sufficient heat is retained by the cabinet to prevent the temperature of the bottles from falling below the pasteurizingtemperature during this period. In

\case, however, it is found that theheat es capes too rapidly by radiation, its loss may be made up by continuing the operation of v the pump 17 and circulating a small amount of hot water through the apparatus or by almost cutting off the steam supply so as to prevent the further rise in the temperature of the circulated Water. After the pasteurizing temperature has been maintained'for the necessary period, the bottles and their contents are cooled to a low temperature for storage or transportation. The cooling is accomplished by gradually reducing the temperature of the-circulated'water'first by adding cold water thereto from the pipe 19 and finally by placing'ice in the bottom of the cabinet, or by circulatin refrigerated brine throughthe pipe 20. I he temperature of the circulated water is preferably reduced gradually, just as. itwas raised gradually, so as to preventthe cracking of the bottles from sudden changes in temperature.

Figs. 5, 6, and 7 show a modified form of distributing trough consi'sting of a trough or pan proper 21, having a marginal flange 22,\and havingsecured to its under surface in any suitable manner-a plurality of bottle" caps or covers 23. ,The water passes through. perforations 24313 the bottom of? I the crates.

the trough around each of the caps, the

side walls of the latter being preferably cor rugated as indicated at 25, to insure a proper distribution of the water and prevent the same from collecting and running down the bottles in comparatively large streams or rivulets instead of being uniformly distributed over the bottle surface. Each trough is preferably provided with an overflow tube 26 and, if necessary, may be stiffened by means of a brace 27. The corners of the trough are preferably cut ofl, as indicated at 28, to clear the corner irons 0f thecrates. This modification of the invention is particularly adapted to use with small bottles, such as the ordinary pint milk bottles, which stand well into the corners of In order to cover such corner bottles, the corner caps '23 may be' caused to project beyond the cutofi corners 28 of the trough as shown in Figs. 5*and 6.. Withlarger bottles, such as quart bottles of milk, the form of trough shown in Figs. 1 to 4 is preferred as it is more readily constructed. The operation of the two forms is essentially the same. I

I claim as my invention g y 1. In an apparatus .for altering the temperature of the contents of containers, a

trough for. distributing a temperature changing liquid over the containers, the said trough having parts above the containers for preventing the liquid from flowing on to the tops of the containers, liquid discharg openings surrounding said parts, walls or confining the liquid in the trough, and a li uid overflow located above the liquid distributing openings and below the top of said confining Walls, whereby a substan- .tially constant head of liquid'ismaintained in the .trough.

2. In bottle pasteurizing apparatus, the combination of a plurality of bottle crates adapted to contain bottles, stacked one upon the other, and a distributing trough supported over the tops of the bottles ineach.

crate, each trough having a marginal wall, a plurality of caps for covering the bottles,

perforations surrounding the caps, and an overflow orifice above said perforations and below the top of said marginal wall.

3. In bottle pasteurizing apparatus, the

combination of a cabinet, means for sup-1 porting bottles therein in tiers one above the other, a distributing trough located above the bottles in each tier, each trough including means for covering the tops of the bottles in the tier below, and means for distributing liquid supplied to the trough over the bottles, the bottom of said cabinet forming a collecting receptacle, and means for drawing liquid from the bottom of said cabinet and conveying the same to the distributing trough over the upper tier of bottles in the cabinet.

4. In bottle pasteurizing apparatus, the

tles in the tier below, and means for distributing'liquid supplied to the trough over the bottles, the bottom of said cabinet forming a collecting receptacle,'means for drawing liquid from the bottom of saidcabinet and conveying the same to the distributing" trough over the upper tier of bottles in the.

cabinet, and means for changingthe temperature of said circulated liquid;

5. In an apparatus for pasteurizing substances while in containers, a liquid distributer comprising a trough having a marginal wall and inverted cup-shaped caps projecting upwardly from the bottom of the trough, perforations. being formed around the base of each cap, and an overflow orifice above said perforationsland below the top of said marginal wall.

Witness my hand, this 18th 'day of April, 1913, I

ALBER'I J. RICE.

I Witnesses:

C. W. PARKER, C. B. HoRNBnoK. 

